The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-02-23
GREELEYS ODDITIES.
49, M MEANS AS ECCENTRIC As
NE SEEMED TO BE.

Howard, Jr.-t"ur instances from
.,,,ch tho Reader Can Draw What
InCcrcnccs He Chooses.
,con forget Horace Greeley's affecta-
49,. ~ cccentricityf
W. ga. bv no manner Of means tho fool he
~ be- That he was ambitious, anx-
a'''' ~ f,r public favor and fond Of money,
IN IN 10 aau,tation and fattery, who that
~, bi, Ito would presume 10 denyl How
IAN his Alterations Of dress, for they
- orT,ctations, be accounted for, save on
". ,boorv Of an unbalanced mindi Did it
w r.,~onablo that a man after years of
s.-,-.oliian lie. at the head Of great, and
-. ,in. the greatest journal in America,
",-ia,ing with the first men of his time,
o",....so3 with al broad movements in the
-. ~ his felowmen could unless by
I'.,ont make a guy Of himself, morning,
o, and night, unless he did 1t with intenti
ali four illustrations OF Intentional
r.+,son on the part Of Horace Greeley.
~. f,t was in Sacramento, Cal A large
-, had assembled 10 hear him speak,
81 WAS detained on the road. On arrival
r,s driven to tho St George hotel, and
ts-r,Sl 10 a room that be might partake Of
-. rafreShment and dress before his lecture.
T,oimpstience Of the audience was aSSuaged
- cha announcement that Mr.. Greeley was
.3sr.tiry bis toilet, and making himself com
%--..h. after q long and tedious stage ride.
Ia reached the hall at 9 o'clock.
Was be drossedl Howe
prs,i>elv as when he left the stage coach.
uot,d not washed his face nor his hands.
Usbadn't changed single article Of his at
49, from coat 70 shirt. from collar to boots.
I..o,p.elv covered with dust, with cravat
o,grv with collar dirty and rumpled, with
shi-f front disarrangel, with unpublished
800 he shambed into the hall, and up the
i,,r aisle. until, standing on the platform,
dirty. il-kcmpt, unattractive, he faced an
audience mainly Of New England men and
women. each arrayed in accordance with
decorum.
What was that!
F,,ontrioity, oddness not only, but an af-
fs.ta-ion Of the extremity Of each.
ON another occasion. in Paris he, as a del
e.,to from the United States to the great
Question. was notified 70 meet his fellow
6eie.ate, i'm a specified salon. Mr. Greeley
and Erastus Brooks, another delegate, arrived
g., advance of the others Mr. Brooks, who
was tie very personifcation of neatneSs and
.ri,pe.s noticed that Mr.. Greeley's trousers
were litcbed up over the leg Of his boot, and
s+s,me personal Inconvenience having called
Iiso,tenti9n 10 it, Bneeled and adjusted the
Garment Later on IN the reception room,
where the delegates from all countries had
met for "a formal presentation, imagine the
DISGUST and ANNOYANCE Of Mr.. Brooks when
No. saw that Mr.. Greeley had redisarranged
..tr5users. so that the bottoms OF them still
rested upon the legs of his boots.
What was that!
Year, after that had occasion to call on
3ir Greeley in bis home, relative to matters
ID Washington He was i'll and i'm bed The
leI,t-ad was placed across the corner of the
NOM I'm the center was a revolving book
css. AGAINST which rested q long mirror.
Articles Of clothing were strewn about the
flor and intensest confusion dominated the
rae, Mr. Greeley was not seriously i'll, but
bytho advice of bis physician kept his bed
several days So far as confusion, NAL
arrangement and observation-disclosures were
concerned. that bedroom capped the climax.
Was that INTENTIONAL
HIS NECKTIE AwEY.
The statue Of Benjamin Franklin was set
up some time after then i'm Printing House
SQUARE. Immediately in front of The Tribune
Msim- a committee on arrangements
provided places on the programme for Pro
faSor Morse. Mr. Greeley and others. We
were a.l To- mees in The Tribune editorial
rooms and $50 I'M procession TO the statue. 1t
vasa memorable occasion, and every man
paid such respect TO the pr0prieties as could
De indicated by demeanor and costume. Mr..
Greeley walked down the stairs arm IN arm
with Professor Morse with the collar of his
oycrcoat turned inwards, his necktie awry
and one leg Of his trousers hitched up on top
Of his boot
Was that intentional or accidentalf
Horace Greeleywas man packed with alice
tai0ns always believed his eccentricitieS to
b. assumed because they were such palpable
contradictions of all that he. saw about him,
OF all DE learned Of his unusual attrition with
men Of the world. He was proud of the
Odiity DE presented 1t gratihed him to be
pointed out as peculiar, as distinct in his per-
sonality from his fellows. An evidence OF
weakness YOU thinkl Why certainly an evil
dence q weakness in one of the greatest, one
Of the graudest men known to American
history. He would have been brave man
who dared pronounce Horace Greeley insane
by reason of these peculiar developments,
and Yet 10 is difficult 10 reconcile his unqueS-
toned ability, bis world wide experience, ms
rare power of thought, his competency III
argument, with these petty developments OF
vanity and of self satisfaction. When you
come 10 think OF it you viii find evidence OF
occentucity IN nearly all the men and women
ofp,omnence YOU ever heard of-JOe How
ard i'm Kansas City Journal.